Buy a Wil Wheaton iPod Touch, help restore civil liberties

Back in 2009, when reddit’s first iPhone app launched, kn0thing made a commercial featuring the underused marketing line, “More fun than LARPing with Wil Wheaton!”

photo circa 2009

Shortly thereafter, we had the motto laser-etched onto the back of a top-of-the-line 16GB iPod Touch and asked Wil to sign it (he’s a avid redditor, of course.) We figured we could pick a charity and auction it off. I mean, who wouldn’t want a piece of technology signed by this guy?

However, we made a small mistake. You know that protective plastic cover you have to peel off Apple mobile products before you use them? We sort of didn’t notice it. In other words, our “iPod signed by Wil Wheaton” ended up being an “iPod with a piece of protective plastic signed by Wil Wheaton.” For what it’s worth, he also autographed the “Designed by Apple in California” card.

Because of the mistake, we’ve had the iPod sitting in our drawer ever since. However, it’s high time we sent it off into the world to be loved and appreciated for what it is. And perhaps there’s a silver lining: A signature on an iPod would quickly rub off in your pocket. But a signature on a protective piece of plastic is eternal. You can frame it. Hang it on your wall. Affix it to your bathroom mirror. The possibilities are mindless.

All proceeds are going to a good cause, by the way. We’ll stick the winning bid in a lockbox and, should OperationGrabAss need funding to promote their “Fly with Dignity” message, pass it right along to them. If that doesn’t pan out, we’ll give it to the EFF.

Edit: Wil just contacted reddit to sweeten the pot. Whoever wins the auction will also get a signed, leather-bound, slip-cased, special-edition copy of his book!